Refrigerator including through-the-door ice service

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator having an automatic ice maker includes an ice piece storage receptacle carried by a pivotally mounted ice access door in the freezer door and tiltable to an open position for providing access to the stored ice without opening of the freezer door.

United States Patent 7 1 1 3,602,007

[72] Inventor Philip J. Drieci 2,136,558 11/1938 lnanshel 62/377WheatonJll. 2,717,495 9/1955 Anderson 62/71 211 App]. No. 866,8323,009,336 11/1961 Baystoy... 62/137 [22] Filed Oct. 16, 1969 3,146,6019/1964 Gould 62/344 [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 3,218,111 11/1965Steiner 62/377 [73] Assignee General Electric Company 3,280,578 10/1966Linotrombery 62/137 3,308,632 3/1967 Winfield 62/377 [541 REFRIGERATORINCLUDING THROUGH-T1112- Wye DOOR ICE SERVICE AttorneysWalter E. Rule,Harry F. Manbeck, Jr., Frank L. 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. Neuhauser,Oscar B. Waddell and Joseph B. Forman [52] 11.8. CI 62/344, 62/377,62/71, 62/441, 62/137 [51] Int. Cl F250 5/118 [50] Field ofSearch....62/377,

137, 441 ABSTRACT: A refrigerator having an automatic ice maker includesan ice piece storage receptacle carried by a pivotally [56] ReferencesCited mounted ice access door in the freezer door and tiltable to anUNITED STATES PATENTS open position for providing access to the storedice without 1,275,511 8/1918 Welch 62/377 opening of the freezer door.

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, FIG! INVENTOR.

PHILlP J. DRlECl BY y gfiw ms ATTORNEY REFRIGERATOR INCLUDINGTHROUGI-ITI-IE-DOOR ICE SERVICE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThe ice service of the present invention is incorporated in the laterinvented ice maker apparatus of 1) an earlier filed copendingapplication Ser. No. 812,992 filed Apr. 3, 1969 by William M. Webb andDaniel N. Toma and (2) an earlier filed copending application Ser. No.826,541 filed May 21, 1969 by John E. Sterling; both of whichapplications are entitled Household Refrigerator Including Automatic IceMaker and Door Mounted Ice Storage Receptacle" and are assigned to thesame assignee as the present invention.

BACKGROUND'OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to ahousehold refrigerator including a freezer compartment and meansproviding access to ice pieces stored in the compartment without openingthe freezer door.

A number of modern household refrigerators feature automatic ice makersincluding a receptacle for receiving and storing a supply'of ice piecesin a freezer compartment at below freezing temperatures. Most of thecommercially available refrigerators including this feature requireopening of the freezer compartment door whenever the user desires toobtain ice pieces from the receptacle. Each door opening results inentrance of moist air into the freezer compartment and a loss ofrefrigerated air therefrom. There is presently available on the marketone refrigerator including a through-the-door or exterior ice service bymeans of which ice pieces can be obtained without opening the freezercompartment door. This refrigerator, as described and claimed in thecopending application Ser. No. 835,689 filed June 23, 1969 by Dwight W.Jacobus and William C. Bodong and assigned to the same assignee as thepresent invention, features an ice maker and a dispensing receptaclemounted within the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and anormally closed passage in the door through which ice pieces from thedispenser are conveyed to a dispensing recess in the face of the freezerdoor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has as its general objectthe provision of a household refrigerator including a freezercompartment and low cost exterior ice service means. The ice servicemeans comprises an ice storage receptacle mounted on the freezer doorand means providing access to the receptacle so that ice pieces can beremoved therefrom without opening of the freezer door.

More specifically, there if provided in accordance with the presentinvention a household refrigerator including a freezer compartmenthaving an access opening at the front thereof and a main insulated doorclosing that opening. An automatic ice maker is supported within thecompartment and the door is provided with a passage normally closed by asecondary or ice service door. An ice storage receptacle is mounted onthe inner surface of this secondary door in a position to receive icepieces produced by the ice maker so that upon opening of the secondarydoor, the receptacle is accessible for removal of ice pieces therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. I is a front view of a refrigerator including the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the freezerportion of the refrigerator of FIG. 1 including the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along line 3-3ofFIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along line 4-4 ofFIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With particular reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated ahousehold refrigerator cabinet including, in side-by-side relationship,a freezer compartment I and a fresh food compartment. The access openingat the front of the freezer compartment is closed by a closure structureincluding a main door 2, and the fresh food compartment access openingis closed by a door 3.

The freezer compartment I contains an automatic ice maker generallyindicated by the numeral 4 which may be supported for example on a sidewall 5 of the freezer companment. This ice maker may be of any of thewell-known types supplied in household refrigerators for the automaticproduction of ice pieces to be stored at below-freezing temperaturesuntil used. The illustrated ice maker is of the type described in US.Pat. No. 3,163,017-Baker et al. and US Pat. No. 3,163,01 8-Shaw, issuedDec. 29, 1964 In accordance with the present invention, there isprovided an ice service comprising an automatic ice maker and means forobtaining access to stored ice pieces without opening of the mainclosure member closing the access opening to the freezer compartment 11.To this end, the closure structure for the main access opening to thefreezer compartment 1 comprises an insulated main closure member such asthe door 2 for closing the main access opening to the freezercompartment 1, which closure member 2 is provided with a relativelysmall opening or passage 8 that is normally closed by an insulatedsecondary closure member such as a door 9. In the illustrated embodimentof this invention, the secondary or ice service door 9 is hingedlysupported at its lower edge as indicated at 10 for tilting movementabout a horizontal hinge axis from the closed position to a tilted, openposition. The access opening 8 is preferably at about counter height.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of theillustrated main door 2 is provided with inwardly and verticallyextending projections 11 and 12, overlapping the sides of the freezercompartment access opening and forming a recess on the interior surfaceof the door 2 which may be provided with shelves for food storage. Thepassage 8 opens into this recess. An ice storage bin or receptacle 14 issupported within this recess between the projections I1 and 12 andgenerally below the ice maker 4 so that ice: pieces periodicallydischarged by the ice maker may be conveyed by a chute 15 into thereceptacle. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the icestorage receptacle 14 is removably supported on hooks 16 on the'innersurface of the ice surface door 9 in a position such that the ice piecesfrom the chute 15 will be discharged into the receptacle 14 carried bythe door 9 whenever both the main and ice service doors are closed.

By this arrangement, access of the contents of the bin 14 is obtainedmerely by tilting of the door 9 forwardly to a position in which theopen top 18 of the bin is exposed in front of the outer surface of themain door 2 so that the user can then reach into the bin to remove icepieces. To facilitate the opening of the door 9, it is provided with ahandle 19 adjacent its upper edge and suitable stop means (not: shown)may be provided for limiting the opening or tilting movement of the door5. Thus, ice pieces can be removed from the receptacle 9 without openingthe main door 3 and hence with the minimum entrance of moist air intothe freezer compartment or the loss of refrigerated air from the freezercompartment during removal of the ice pieces.

It will be obvious that the exterior ice service of the presentinvention is not limited to cabinets in which the main and ice serviceclosure members are in the form of doors. For example, the main closuremember may be in the form of a drawer from having an ice access openingor passage therein. Also,

What I believe is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a freezer compartment having a mainaccess opening;

a main closure member for closing said access opening and having asecondary access opening therein and a secondary closure member mountedon said main closure member for closing said secondary opening;

an automatic ice maker mounted on a wall of said compartment;

an ice storage receptacle positioned on the inner surface of saidsecondary closure member for receiving ice pieces from said ice makerwhen said access opening is closed by said closure structure and forremoval of ice pieces therefrom upon opening of said secondary closuremember; and

a chute for conveying said ice pieces from said ice maker to saidreceptacle.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 in which said secondary closure member is adoor mounted on said main closure member for tilting movement to an openposition.

3. A household refrigerator including a freezer compartment having anaccess opening at the front thereof and a main insulated door forclosing said opening;

an automatic ice maker mounted on a wall of said compartment; said maindoor having a passage therein below the level of said ice maker andcommunicating with the interior of said compartment and a secondaryinsulated door mounted on said main door for closing said passage; anice storage receptacle supported on the inner surface of said secondarydoor for receiving ice pieces from said ice maker; a chute for conveyingsaid ice pieces from said ice maker to said receptacle; said secondarydoor opening outwardly from said main door whereby ice pieces may beremoved from said receptacle without opening said main door. 4. Therefrigerator of claim 3 in which said receptacle is supported on theinner surface of said secondary door.

5. The refrigerator of claim 4 in which said secondary door is pivotallymounted on said main door for tilting movement to an open position.

1. A refrigerator cabinet comprising a freezer compartment having a mainaccess opening; a main closure member for closing said access openingand having a secondary access opening therein and a secondary closuremember mounted on said main closure member for closing said secondaryopening; an automatic ice maker mounted on a wall of said compartment;an ice storage receptacle positioned on the inner surface of saidsecondary closure member for receiving ice pieces from said ice makerwhen said access opening is closed by said closure structure and forremoval of ice pieces therefrom upon opening of said secondary closuremember; and a chute for conveying said ice pieces from said ice maker tosaid receptacle.
 2. The cabinet of claim 1 in which said secondaryclosure member is a door mounted on said main closure member for tiltingmovement to an open position.
 3. A household refrigerator including afreezer compartment having an access opening at the front thereof and amain insulated door for closing said opening; an automatic ice makermounted on a wall of said compartment; said main door having a passagetherein below the level of said ice maker and communicating with theinterior of said compartment and a secondary insulated door mounted onsaid main door for closing said passage; an ice storage receptaclesupported on the inner surface of said secondary door for receiving icepieces from said ice maker; a chute for conveying said ice pieces fromsaid ice maker to said receptacle; said secondary door opening outwardlyfrom said main door whereby ice pieces may be removed from saidreceptacle without opening said main door.
 4. The refrigerator of claim3 in which said receptacle is supported on the inner surface of saidsecondary door.
 5. The refrigerator of claim 4 in which said secondarydoor is pivotally mounted on said main door for tilting movement to anopen position.